Days 4 & 5

Well our turns are over and done for the campaign. We made the repercharge, but came in third so missed the final by a second. It’s just how it goes. We had a great race and felt very strong and that we gave it all we had. The weather today for our race was in our favour, very little wind and calm conditions with a little misty rain. It’s a pleasant change from the burning sun. However, the race after our, the wind had changed again and lining up was a problem. Every waka was sideways or backwards. Now the wind has changed again.

Tomorrow is another day, straights this time. So we will see how we go.

Loading out the “Nannies”

There has been such amazing racing. The standard of paddling is very high. I have to say that getting into and out of the waka is a real challenge. They don’t turn the waka side-on for the Nannies – it’s pointing straight out to sea. So seat one is in water up to our chins sometimes. Thank goodness for Linda and the wonderful helpers that are there to help us get into the waka. They jump into the water and give us a hand or a knee, whatever we need to get into the waka.

Challenges with the course

The course is a bit of a challenge. The bouys between the flags are floating off a bit in relation to the flags which makes lining up accurately a bit of a challenge. They are the same at the other end of the course, however, now they have sorted the distance between flags and buoys it is not such a problem. Apparently yesterday the buoys drifted in closer to the flags making the lane narrower. Some of the DQ’s were overturned because of that. Also not having the lane markers all the way down the course makes it harder in rough conditions (well all conditions actually). Today it was relatively easy to see the flags and to keep in lane (I have to add “when we raced” as the wind can change minute to minute).

We have just received a note from the managers chat.

“A black flag goes up, believe it is you and move back a couple of strokes. The start line is the bottom of the flag poles as this is the constant and unaffected by wind. The bouys out at the 500m start line do move laterally on the course depending on the tide. Please ensure you use the flags to line up at the start and use the bouys as nothing more that to ensure you are in your lane at the start.

For those that have not been to the top end of the course (500m start line) when the tide is coming in, you get cross currents making some messy water. Go wide into the start line. “

I was right to choose a conservative start line up yesterday, but the current drift took us back so we started for a bit back but made it up on the straight. Sounds like today will be more challenging.

Other crew racing to day – all turns today

In the master 40 men VO2 from Whakatū Marae was racing in the heats. Unfortunately they DQ’d in the turn. Also racing for the south were Aotea & Aoraki Matatu from Te Waka Punamu and Mars racing for Te Paerangi.

Aotea got 5th in their semi, but unfortunately that wasn’t enough to get through to the final. Mars’ crew came 8th in their semi. Aoraki Matatu also DQ’d on the start line in their heat. The masters 75 women from Aratika got a bronze in the turns.